Author's Note:
Thanks again, Falcona Skywolf; and you're right—about one of them, that is. Another diary entry follows this chapter. See if you can even out the score. :)
And I apologize ahead of time for one character's conflicting personality. There's a reason for it.
Enjoy! :)

Chapter Nine

"How convenient."
His wife's sarcasm bothered him.
Mara Jade Skywalker clenched and unclenched her fists. "Right before she has to face a legal inquisition, she happens to get herself blown up."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying she did it to herself?"
"Of course." Mara shot him a look that called him an idiot. "Distracts investigators from her actions, keeps her from having to face the investigation, and gets herself plenty of sympathetic press coverage."
"Have you seen her injuries?"
"Is she alive?" Luke nodded, and his wife gave him the 'See?' look.
"Actually…" He tried to find the best way to say it. "The doctors say she shouldn't be."
"Shouldn't be what?"
"Alive. The bit of bone which pierced her lung should have killed her. But it didn't."
"But lung fluid's toxic." A dark look descended on his wife's face, green eyes glowing. "Is she a Dark Jedi?"
Luke felt like sighing and rolling his eyes, but he could guess her reaction if she recognized it as his being frustrated with the younger students. "If she is a Dark Jedi why didn't she strike when I was in her office? Her secretary is able to use the Force."
"Not yet time," Mara easily explained. "They have a larger goal in mind. Bring the Jedi Masters to trust them, and then… They won't get me."
Luke sighed, resigned to the fact that Mara was not about to change her mind. He straightened his tunic and faced her directly. "We can have this conversation another time. It's time to see Han, again."

Lando Calrissian was careful not to make a sound as he entered the hangar, as he could hear Stanley and his eccentric friend chatting erratically from the entrance.
"Calrissian?"
He started, looking at Yni as she rummaged through Stanley's tools.
Her calm gaze made him wonder whatever made him think her a dolt. "Don't."
Lando hesitated. "Don't what?" he asked cautiously.
Though her expression had changed, her frankness had not. "Don't bother trying to sneak up. It can't work."
"Oh, no?" He grinned, trying to hide his discomfort. "What are you, a Jedi or something?"
Before Yni could reply, Stanley's arm shot out of the bulkhead he was in and wrapped around her mouth. "Clam it."
She spat out his arm, spluttering a bad taste from her mouth. "Ooo, filthy grease!" she said candidly, face still sour. "The perfect garnish for my lunch." She spat off to the side, away from them, and her face turned daft, again.
"Why did he stare at me?"
Lando heard the abrupt thud, clang, and "Ow!" from Stanley before the haggard blonde stuck his head out. "Okay, first of all, where were you?"
Yni scratched her head. "Well, Master Thracia wouldn't let me go to the bar where she was and made me come back here to find my fingernail and net it back on… But I got it stable before Master Thracia finished whatever she was doing and so I was waiting outside the bar."
"In the street?"
"Uh…" she thought and nodded. "Yeah."
"What were you wearing?"
She looked perplexed. "This, of course!" Those frayed, loose tan tunic and trousers were the only things she had? Poor kid.
"What were you doing?"
Yni grimaced, face frightened. "Avoiding the animals."
"Did you look like that?"
She scowled. "Look like what?"
"Scared."
"Uh…" She thought, then nodded. "I think so. Why?"
" 'Cause some guys like their girls afraid. Makes them easier to control."
Yni frowned with confused curiosity at Stanley. "Huh?'
The young man sighed and pulled himself completely out from under the ship. "Okay, you know how guys and girls have certain relationships. Well—"
"Ah—" she interrupted, putting her hand on his arm. "Why don't you start there?"
Lando laughed. "By the Force, woman! Don't tell me you've never had a man of your own!"
His laugh died on his spotting her absolutely clueless expression as Stanley guided her to a seat.
"Okay." The tech took a deep breath. "You have… friends, right?" She nodded. "You remember your parents?"
"Of course."
"…When you think of how they treated each other, do you remember something different in that than how they treated other people?"
"Oh!" Understanding lit up Yni's face. "Like you and—"
"Yeah," Stanley said quickly with a wince. He looked haunted, again. He swallowed hard. "Like me and—and her."
Somehow, the girl's expression brightened even more. "And you'd beat her because you wanted to control her!"
Lando Calrissian looked at Stanley in surprise. He never would've thought the youth the abusive type.
Stanley's jaw and face muscles struggled to keep his composure. "…Yeah," he said finally, but it came out hoarse. "And I ended up… killing her…" He fled the scene.
Yni and Lando watched him leave, then he turned to the young woman.
Who was smugly smiling.

"She was talking?"
Her husband nodded. "Right up until every alarm they had went off. That's when they sent me out."
Her brother and sister-in-law shared a frown. "She survives when she shouldn't, and responds when she should be in a coma," he murmured thoughtfully.
Mara nodded. "Dark Jedi."
"Or not," Luke pointed out. "It may be she isn't Human."
"That's not what the doctors say."
Luke raised an eyebrow at Mara. "What do they say, then?"
"They think she's a Jedi."
"Perhaps she is," Leia Organa Solo spoke up.
Mara glared at her. "From where? Not here. Shadow Academy."
Leia recalled her meeting with Senator Whitesun. Of course, the blonde could merely be an expert actress, but…
She shook her head. "No… I don't think so…"
"Why did she avoid Jedi, then?"
Luke's brow furrowed. "When did she avoid Jedi?"
"Kyp tried talking to her and she left almost immediately."
"She did protest having a Jedi treat her," Han spoke up.
"Why don't we leave this conversation for another time?" Leia didn't like where this was going. For some reason, she felt rather protective of the young senator. "We don't have enough information for anything right now." She turned to Mara. "Where's the fruit bread?"
"I couldn't bring it."
"Ben?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "Of course."
Han chuckled, shaking his head. "He ate it all again, huh? Kids."
Leia exchanged a glance with her brother. Her nephew often gobbled the sweet Naboo rolls. It came as no surprise.
She was more worried about Senator Misti Whitesun, and she could tell Luke was, too.

The tall young woman rubbed her keys, her dark eyes alive and determined, if a bit unfocused.
"A challenge."
Jedi Knight Jaina Solo relaxed somewhat at the secretary's tone. Obviously, the woman looked forward to this assignment. She just regretted she hadn't met the lady sooner.
"I'm sorry about—"
The young woman waved a dark golden-brown hand. "My boss is a Senator. I expect such dangers," the tall lady reassured Jaina, referring to the temporary loss of her eyesight, already recovering.
Senator Misti Whitesun's secretary set her hands lightly upon the keypad. "Where do you want me to start?" she asked as she typed. "Official or unofficial?"
Jaina gave her an odd look. "Are you saying…?"
"I specialize in the unofficial."
The Jedi Knight looked at the senatorial secretary with new eyes. Unofficial information was by far the hardest to come by—especially without getting noticed. But it was usually the only way to find experts' leads. "Unofficial, then."
Leaving the other young woman to her hacking, Jaina paused by the door, looking back in. What would Senator Misti Whitesun be doing with someone who specialized in illegal information?
Remembering what planet the young Senator was from, Jaina decided that probably was the wisest move, after all.
How else would Whitesun keep an eye on the Hutts?

Author's Note:
Next entry is the diary, again.